Violent crimes: A national enigma

By Mochtar Buchori

JAKARTA (JP): News about violent crimes, which have happened so frequently lately in our society, has alarmed everyone in our society, except the criminals themselves. People react in many different ways to this situation. There are those who panic, fearing that they or one of their relatives will become the next victim of these mad crimes. There are also those who want the government to take firm measures immediately, and conduct a nation-wide hunt against these criminals. They urge the government to launch a "shock therapy" operation.

And then there are those who point out that hunting and eliminating the criminals alone will not solve the problem. They argue that, ultimately, the step that must be taken in this regard is the elimination of the sources of these crimes, which include the ever widening gap between the haves and the have- nots. As long as this social and economic imbalance is not properly addressed, and improvements in this respect are not clearly visible, a new generation of criminals will always emerge in our society to take over the role of those we have eliminated.

Underneath these differing reactions there is one question which baffles every member of our society. This is the question of the origin of this barbaric and inhuman type of criminal offensive. We have always had criminals in our society, but never before have we witnessed such groups of sadistic criminals as we have now.

Most of us are puzzled by this situation, since it clashes so starkly with the image we all have about ourselves and our society. Aren't we the world's most friendly and warm-hearted people? Hasn't our society always been endowed with religious and other ethical norms and wisdom to guide us in our individual and collective lives? How can it be that hordes of such beastly people managed to evolve in our society without anyone taking notice of them?

Another question which is also troubling our society's psyche concerns itself with what must and will be done next to stop all these criminal acts and restore security, peace and order within our society. No one seems to have a clear idea of what will effectively stop this wave of criminal violence. This is very worrying because as long as there is no convincing sign that we have the knowledge, skill or wisdom to handle this problem of violent crimes, the fear that one day we may also become a victim of such a crime will always linger in our minds.

For many of us there is no reason to believe that we are exceptional people who cannot be touched by these criminals. No matter how law abiding and helpful we try to be towards others, there is always the probability that one day we will be confronted by a madman, who decides that we are going to be his next prey.

The formula prescribed by the government in this case is that security, peace and order in our society are the collective responsibility of the entire society. It has been repeatedly stated by high ranking government officials that it is unrealistic to expect the government to be able to effectively fight and abolish these criminal groups entirely on its own.

Society must assist the government in this effort. If society as a whole unites behind the government and supports its efforts to control and stem crime, then we will succeed in this particular effort. But if our society is indifferent in this regard and does not actively support the government, then we will never be able to restore security, peace and order in our society.

The problem with this formula is that it rests upon a very big assumption. To assume that the entire society will be able to unite itself, and stand solidly behind the government in fighting crimes is, in my opinion, a little presumptuous. At best, such an assumption is an expression of hope, an ideal, and not a statement of an plausible policy.

Groups within any society will unite only if they feel their interests will be protected and their opinions respected. So far it is only in times of war, or severe national crises, that governments are perceived as protecting the interests of the entire society, irrespective of ideological or commercial groupings that exist in society.

Does it mean then, that there is nothing the various groups within our society can do to help the government fight criminal gangs? Of course not. There are many things that each of us can do to help the government in this regard, but not through direct involvement in steps aimed at eliminating crimes. Fighting criminal gangs requires a very high degree of professionalism. It is not a job for amateurs. What each group within our society can do is to help the government eradicate the sources of these criminal acts. Each of us has to define the type of action we will take and the kind of attitude we will adopt to show our participation in the campaign to eliminate the sources of crime.

Whatever we decide to do, to become proactive in the national campaign to eradicate this criminal epidemic, we must always keep in mind that restoring security, peace and order is, in the final analysis, a matter or restoring our collective respect towards the law and other ethical norms. Analyzed in terms of the mental processes that underlie such behavior, this is a matter of strengthening our conative power, strengthening our determination to respect and uphold norms.

It is only if everyone of us, from top to bottom, does our utmost to heighten our regard towards the law, and other ethical norms, that tangible improvements in security, peace and order will gradually emerge in our mid. But as long as there are still members of society who put themselves above the law and other ethical norms, true security, peace and order will constantly elude us.

It should be clear by now that guiding our society to fight crimes and restore security, peace and order is not a matter of mobilizing and solidifying societal support. It is more a matter of educating society towards greater moral commitment. It is a problem of building up national conscience. This immense national assignment can never be accomplished through rhetoric alone.

Dr. Mochtar Buchori is an observer of social affairs based in Jakarta.